1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a system for organizing Internet information based on discrete geographic and topical categories, and more particularly to a substantially automatic system for organizing Internet information based on discrete geographic and topical categories which permits Merchants to select for themselves one or more geographic and topical categories the merchant wishes to be referred from. The present invention further relates to a system that permits Merchants to conduct commercial transactions with users or Shoppers using the system.
The invention is directed to an online interactive system comprising a business referral system linked to one or more listed web sites of businesses in a particular locality or geographical area. Revenue is generated by way of such methods as: Merchants listing their web sites in one or more web site directories for multiple communities; banner ads; local and national coupons issued by merchants; classified job listings; classified realty listings; “4 Sale” ads; and fees for supplemental services called “Extended Services” such as credit card payments, appointment schedules, menus, forms, estimates, surveys, fax orders, shopping cart, order confirmation, newsletters, menu of products, email orders, product catalogs, merchant bill payments, etc. Among the Merchants which use such revenue generating methods are: wholesalers and retailers; web site developers; advertising agencies; coupon resellers; employment agencies; and real estate agencies—in addition to local shoppers.
2. Description of the Related Art
On-line computer services, such as those found on the Internet, provide a user with access to a hierarchically structured database containing information. This information is typically accessed via a plurality of computer servers interconnected by a data transfer means (i.e.: a conventional telephone line or T1 connection). Because each and every computer server is not directly connected with every other computer server, a plurality of direct routers is employed to direct data to and from the desired computer server.
A user may access the Internet using a home personal computer (PC) equipped with conventional modem and Internet interface or browsing software. To access the Internet, the PC's modem dials a telephone number associated with an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The ISP's server then directs the user to a local or point of presence (POP) router, which in turn connects the users to the Internet.
Devices utilizing the Internet communicate using a certain Internet communication protocol HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) Every device communicating on the Internet is assigned a unique address call and Internet Protocol (IP) address. The IP address identifies where in the network of interconnected computer servers a device is connected. Currently, an IP address consists of thirty-two (32) binary bits. Because this is difficult for a user, IP addresses are assigned mnemonic representations. A typical address reads as follows: www.uspto.gov.
Usually, an IP address is associated with a web site having a plurality of documents organized in a plurality of directories and subdirectories. The first document to appear on a user's PC viewing screen is usually a “home page”. The home page gives the user access to a web site's directories and subdirectories, and may allow the user to gain access to other web sites or subdirectories within other web sites.
Data exchanged over the Internet is typically encoded in HyperText Mark-up Language (HTML) format. As is well known in the art, HTML marks portions of a document so that when the document is accessed by a user, each portion appears in a specific location on the user's screen and in a specific format. The document may consist of text, graphic images, and/or hyper-links that allow a user to move from document to document on the Internet. A hyper-link is an underlined or otherwise emphasized portion of a document that permits a user to display other documents located either within a web site's directories or subdirectories, or within another web site altogether. A user activates a hyper-link by “clicking” on the underlinked or otherwise emphasized portion of a document using a peripheral device such as a mouse.
Although the Internet has been used as a means for widely sharing information amongst a plurality of users, a central database for organizing the location and nature of all the information available via the Internet has not been established. However, several systems employ “search engines” which locate web sites containing specific desired information. Search engines operate by searching every web via “spiders”, also called controllers or bots, which search for keyboards contained within metatags located at the web site. A user inputs one or more keywords into the search engine which relate to the desired information, and the search engine retrieves and displays a listing of the web sites found along with a brief description of and a hyper-link to each web site. From this list, the user may then select the web site he or she wishes to view.
Most search engines are worldwise in scope, and therefore will usually provide the user with information from around the globe. However, when the user seeks goods and services from a business located within a specific geographical region, a search becomes more difficult. Several search engines operate by locating all web sites which contain the name of the geographic region within a metatag, and then allowing the user to input one or more keywords to further narrow his or her search. U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,474 to Dunworth et al. describes such a method for retrieving information based on geographic location. However, these types of search engines are inadequate because the quality of the search becomes dependent upon the quality of the metalags employed within the web site. For example, if a user was seeking a business which specialized in home repair within their geographic region, a user may input the words “home repair” and the name of the geographic region into the search engine, therefore yielding only those web sites whose metatags contain those words. Therefore, if the web site fails to list within their metatags the geographic location, a search engine would likely fail to list the particular web site in the search results. Further, such search engines typically yield so many results that it would require an unreasonable time span in order to view each and every web site contained within the search results.
Other search engines operate using a “referral” system. Often, corporations who also maintain a vast array of server computers maintain the search engines. These companies then use these server computers to “host” or provide memory space for merchant web sites owned by merchants. Employees of the corporation view each merchant web site and create a set of web site keywords. The web sites keywords are maintained in a web site content database. Merchant web sites hosted by other corporations may also request the corporation which maintains the search engine to list their keywords within the web site content database for referral to search engine users. When a user conducts a search using the corporation's search engine, the search engine searches the web site content database for web site keywords which match those keywords input by the user, and then displays a listing of the merchant web sites found along with a brief description of and a hyper-link to each web site. These types of search engines are inadequate, however, because the corporations often give preference to, and therefore lists first, those merchants whose merchant web site is hosted by the corporation who maintains the search engine, and preference is often given to those merchant web sites who generate the most revenue to the corporation.
Further, such search engines typically yield so many results that it would require a tremendous amount of time in order to view each and every web site contained within the search results. In addition, most search engines are “state” (and therefore not “interactive”) because they only allow a user to locate a merchant web site and then view the merchant web site via the hyper-link provided in the search results. If a user wishes to communicate directly with the merchant operating the merchant web site, the user must do so via the merchant's web site (i.e.: an electronic mail (e-mail) communication hyper-link provided within the web site). Further, commercial transactions between the user and the merchant must be conducted at the merchant's web site as well.
In addition to the Internet's inadequate organization of information, commercial advertising on the Internet has become difficult for merchants. An Internet commercial advertisement typically takes the form of a “banner ad” located and displayed on hosting web sites. A banner ad may be textual or graphical, and is a hyper-link to the merchant's web site. Currently, merchants, through a third-party broker, purchase banner advertisements. An employee of the broker either inputs the banner ad onto the desired document of a hosting web site (as the broker has direct access to the web site), or contacts the hosting web site, requests the banner ad and an employee of the hosting web site's owner places the banner ad onto the desired document. This method or purchasing banner ads is both time consuming and costly because personnel skilled in the art of computer programming are often required to input the information onto the hosting web site's document. Further, banner ads as currently utilized are inadequate as they are hyper-links only, and typically fail to communicate both the goods or services provided or sufficient information to allow the user to contact the commercial enterprise without viewing the commercial enterprise web site.
The invention comprises an on-line, interactive web site information system having one or more functions for displaying advertising, information and business listings and referring users such as shoppers or merchants to the web sites of merchants listed with respect to certain geographic locations such as towns and cities, and certain categories.
It further includes capability for substantially automated creation of business listings and advertising by users of the system. It further includes substantially automated selection by said merchants of the categories and towns wherein said advertising and listings will appear so as to enable geographic targeting of said users of the system. The system displays the advertising, information and business listings for duration of time in a substantially automatic manner.
Furthermore the system enables on-line shoppers to view the advertising, information and business listings. The advertising, business listings and information are linked to the web pages of others. At least one hyper-link corresponding to a category is provided in order to link users to the web site of at least one merchant.
Databases are built from the information provided by users of the system. The system can also record and provided account review information to users of the system. Users, such as Merchants, can add and delete the information, business listings and advertisements for display on the system. Such users can also select the specific towns and categories in which to display the advertising, business listings and/or information. Shoppers or Merchants can also obtain Extended Services. These Extended Services serve to provide interactive web site qualities or functions to static web sites. Statistics are recorded about usage of the system and, marketing analysis is performed for monitoring activity among the various functions of the System.
The system can generate revenue from usage of the system. Accounting functions serve to keep track of the revenues generates by the System and any commissions owed to others. The system further provides for substantially automated updating of the business listings, advertising and information. The system provides for substantially automated, on-line payment for said business listings, information and advertising. The system is further capable of substantially automated display of single day duration coupons or ads wherein the coupons or ads automatically stop being displayed upon the expiration of the selected time period.
The system is capable of generating revenue in the following ways, among others:                a. fees obtained from merchants for listing their web sites in specified towns;        b. fees from banner ads displayed in specified towns;        c. fees from coupons made available in specified towns;        d. fees from 4 sale listings displayed in specified towns; and,        e. fees from extended services.The nature and amount of the fees charged by the system depend on the location, type and duration of the listing, ad or coupon.        
The system provides for different levels of passwords for different types of users of the system. The 4 sale listings of classified ads further include the capability to offer items for sale on a “best offer” basis.
The hyper-link can be one or more areas on a page with an appearance simulating the appearance of a button that can be selected. The hyper-link further appears to be lit up when links to business web pages exist for that category. The hyper-link is further capable of indicating that there are no links to business web pages in a given category. In order to indicate that there are no links to business web pages in a given category, the hyper-link comprises an area having the appearance of a darkened button.
Therefore, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a system for organizing Internet information based on discrete geographic and topical categories.
A second object of the present invention to provide a substantially automated system for organizing Internet information based on discrete geographic and topical categories which permits merchants to select for themselves one or more geographic and topical categories the merchant wishes to be listed in.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system that is substantially automated and more easy to use than conventional web sites.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a substantially automated system for organizing Internet information based on discrete geographic and topical categories without the need for employing a large personnel staff by the system's owner.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a substantially automated system for organizing Internet information and providing links to business web pages based on discrete geographic and topical categories that can accommodate a higher volume of transactions than a system utilizing personnel staff to enter the information.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a substantially automated system adapted to permit Internet users to contact merchants directly through the system of the present invention.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system wherein merchants can design, purchase and place advertising, information and business listings and links directly and by themselves.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a system wherein the listings, banner ads, and coupons are terminated on their expiration date or updated substantially automatically.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a system where merchants can target potential shoppers by geographic area, as opposed to conventional on line systems which rely on the potential shopper to select merchants based on key words or geographic proximity of the merchant to the shopper.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system wherein ads or coupons are displayed more quickly after design or selection and payment than on conventional web sites, so as to enable last minute, short duration and/or off hour ad or coupon placements.
Yet another object of the present invention is to generate revenue through such features as: merchant fees for listing and hyper linking to the web pages of their businesses; fees for banner ads; fees for coupons; fees for 4 Sale classified listings; fees for real estate listings; and extended services which are viewable only from the system.
Another object of the prevent invention is to provide a system wherein advertising agents receive automated, on-line commissions or discounts for placing or having others place ads on the system and wherein such commissions can be automatically direct deposited to the bank accounts of such agents.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a system adapted to permit merchants to design, purchase and place banner ads on selected pages or categories by directly contacting the system on-line.